How Much Do Vending Machines Make?

If you are looking for a semi-passive income stream or an easy entry into entrepreneurship the vending industry is a no-brainer. But the real question is – how much do vending machines make? In this recap of the alliedvending article we answer this question and more.


The #1 question we’re asked is: “How much do vending machines make (for real)?”

Short answer: $300 – $600 per month per vending machine.


Most people who get into the vending machine business fall into one of these three categories:

  • People wanting to make a few hundred extra dollars per month as a nice little “side hustle” (either for themselves or their kids)
  • People who want to create a multi-location vending machine route and do it as a full-time job (or turn around and sell the route for a nice pay day!)
  • People who own/manage a business or property and want to generate some additional revenue and profit

For all three types of people, getting a vending machine is absolutely worth the time and expense. Let’s dig into the numbers and talk about how much money you can realistically make with a vending machine.

The Profit Formula

How much your vending machine makes will primarily be driven by 3 things:

  1. How many items you sell per day
  2. How much profit you make per sale
  3. How much your monthly expenses are

The profit formula looks like this:

Net Profit = ( Items Sold Per Day x Profit Per Item Sold x Days Per Month )
– Monthly Expenses

For example, let’s assume the following:

  • 50 items sold per day
  • $0.60 profit per item sold
  • Available 26 days per month
  • Total expenses of $250 per month

Your net profit would be:

Net Profit = (50 x $0.60 x 26) – $250
Net Profit = $530 per month

The numbers used above are pretty realistic averages. But let’s go into greater depth on each of these key numbers.

Monthly Expenses

Your biggest monthly expense (at least if you finance the purchase of your vending machine) will be the monthly payment to Klarna. But keep in mind that this expense will go away completely after the 24- or 36-month mark. Once that happens, you’ll get a nice $125-160 raise each month!

Luckily Freedom Vending will partner with you to source the best value vending machines to fit your budget. Graduates of the Turn the Key to Success program take over as Owner Operator of their training-route with no money down so they can begin earning from Day 1.

Other expenses include:

  • “Rent” to the business/property owner – typically either: a) $50-100 flat monthly rate, or b) around 5-10% of revenue for low-electricity machines or 15-20% for high-electricity machines (i.e. refrigerated machines)
  • Vending machine software
  • Credit card processing fees (if your vending machine has a credit card reader)
  • Gas (to travel to/from your vending machine)
  • Occasional repairs and maintenance

Note: This list of expenses doesn’t include the cost of the actual products you sell (i.e. soft drinks, snacks, candy or other products) because those costs are already accounted for in the ‘Profit Per Sale’ section above.

Final Thoughts

So… how much do vending machines make?

The bottom line is $300 – $600 per vending machine. But if an extra $300 – $600 per month isn’t enough to get you excited, just multiply that number by 2 or 5 or 10 or 20!

Luckily Freedom Vending will walk you through the entire process from training to ownership. We will be your partner as you grow and scale to as many machines as you desire. This ends the recap of the alliedvending article of a similar name.

5 Signs Your Location Needs a Vending Machine

It’s no secret that happy guests and employees are more likely to stay engaged with your location. This is called location retention and it is important to companies with on-site employees or guests, as well as property managers of commercial, retail, or hospitality. This retelling of the Reed Stevens article sheds some insight.

Should your business install a vending machine? If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, the answer is probably yes.

1. Is Convenience Really That Important to Employees?

This might be the biggest advantage of implementing vending machines in your business: the convenience. Guests who will be waiting at your location or staying for a period of time will appreciate the option to refresh themselves with a snack or beverage. Timeshares and Hotels have found an additional benefit by being able to offer prepared meals or convenience items such as replacement earbuds, charger cables, etc. As for employees, an average workday can be anywhere from seven to 10 hours. Granting people the easy access to affordable, reliable food, beverages, and even custom curated items allows your guests or employees to remain onsite if they choose.

5 Signs You Should Install a Vending Machine

2. Can I Afford to Offer a “Perk” Like Vending?

There’s no cost to install Freedom Vending machines at your location. Vending machines require space and typical electrical outlet access. The actual cost associated with the machines and the products within usually are covered by Freedom Vending. You simply offer the benefits to your guests and employees.

3. Do People Carry Cash These Days?

If you’ve wondered how your guests or employees will pay for onsite vending machine options, the good news is innovation has brought significant changes to the vending machines of today. Most machines accept a combination of cash, coins, and cards to swipe.

4. Can Vending Machines Offer More than Pop and Chips?

Yes. The innovation I spoke to in point three extends beyond the technology of the machines. What goes inside the machines has significantly shifted too. Gone are the days of people being limited to simply snacks; there’s a wide array of meal-type options available including fresh, locally prepared items like sandwiches, wraps, salads, hardboiled eggs, yogurt, fresh juices, and more.

5. How Much Work Will I Have to Do?

This is probably one of the more prominent questions when it comes to whether or not to install vending machines – how much work will a manager or owner have to do? The good news is, Freedom Vending takes care of everything. This eliminates the need for an onsite representative to be tasked with vending machine management.

This ends the retelling of the Reed Stevens article of a similar name.

Created with pride by Freedom Path LLC, 2023